1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices having automatic media feed mechanisms and more particularly to a media feed mechanism having a sheet feed extender allowing a print engine to be utilized with various printing peripheral devices of varying housing designs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet printers and all-in-one devices are generally known to utilize a media input tray and a media output tray defining input and output positions, respectively of a media feedpath. The peripheral devices may comprise an L-shaped paper path wherein an input tray is located at the rear of a printer device and is generally upwardly directed while the media output or exit tray extends horizontally from the front of the device, thereby defining the generally L-shaped feedpath.
One problem with existing print devices and media feeding peripherals is that different print engines must be utilized with different devices, in part due to the changes in media housing or cover shape and size. A print engine comprises at least the media feed assembly. For example, the various market segments may include single function printers, three-in-one devices including print, scan and copy functionality, and four-in-one devices including print, scan, fax and copy functionality. The latter two devices are generally known as all-in-one devices or multi-function peripherals.
Multi-function peripherals generally have housings which are larger than single function printers, typically due to the scanner components being positioned on an upper side of the housing above the print components. In order to compensate for the additional height of the housing, and when an L-shaped feedpath is utilized, the media feeding assembly must be re-designed to accommodate the change in height of the housing. In turn, this requires a different design in the print engine for each peripheral device. Such redesign across various components increases not only the design and testing costs associated with the various devices, but also increases the manufacturing costs.
In addition, one goal of print peripheral manufacturers is to decrease the footprint of the device housing in three dimensions. This aids in allowing for smaller packaging and increased shipping density, which decreases shipping costs per unit. Dimensions within horizontal planes are limited to some extent due to media sizes. However, manufacturers are also limited in vertical planes by the generally upwardly extending input trays. Such upwardly extending trays tend to create packing problems.
It would be desirable if the design of the print engine was modular to allow for use of such print engine across multiple models of printing peripherals. Additionally, it would be desirable to decrease the footprint of the peripheral so as to allow for increased packing density.